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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381755">Two Padawans</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Headfulloffantasies/pseuds/Headfulloffantasies'>Headfulloffantasies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Order, Fix-It, Force Ghosts, Jedi Finn, Jedi Knights, Jedi Mythology, Jedi Training, The Force Awakens, Tython, canon is dead to me</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:41:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,410</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381755</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Headfulloffantasies/pseuds/Headfulloffantasies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There can only be two. One master and one apprentice.<br/>That’s what Skywalker told them. No master trains two at once. The padawan bond is a sacred partnership. That is the Jedi way.<br/>"Both or none," Rey argued.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm disowning canon. Finn has enough Force sensitivity to be trained as a Jedi. Finn and Rey would be the best Jedi partners.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There can only be two. One master and one apprentice. </p>
<p>That’s what Skywalker told them. No master trains two at once. The padawan bond is a sacred partnership. That is the Jedi way.</p>
<p>“The Jedi have fallen,” Rey said. She spoke before Finn had fully processed the truth of Skywalker’s words. </p>
<p>Skywalker didn’t want him. </p>
<p>Skywalker wanted Rey.</p>
<p>And why not? Her Force powers excelled far past his. Finn couldn’t lift objects, or stop bolts of blaster fire, or sense the presence of enemies before they appeared. </p>
<p>Skywalker scoffed and turned away. “One master. One apprentice,” he repeated.</p>
<p>“Both or none,” Rey countered.</p>
<p>Skywalker paused. He didn’t turn around when he spoke. “Don’t act with your emotions, Rey. A Jedi does what is best for the universe, not for themselves.”</p>
<p>“Both. Or none,” Rey scowled. </p>
<p>Skywalker twisted to pierce Finn with his blue gaze. “Well, boy? Will you defend your right to be trained?”</p>
<p>Finn’s throat closed. He couldn’t find the words. Did he want to be trained in the ways of the Force? Desperately. Did he think he had any right to demand to be trained? Absolutely not. </p>
<p>Rey stomped on his foot. </p>
<p>“Yessir,” Finn said reflexively. “I do what she does.”</p>
<p>Skywalker glanced between the two of them. He sighed. “Force help me.”</p>
<p>Skywalker beckoned for them to follow him. Finn and Rey scrambled over the rocks of Skywalker’s wet slimy island. They reached a collection of stone huts. Skywalker waved a hand. The door to the smallest hut opened. </p>
<p>“Home sweet home,” Skywalker smirked. “Training starts in the morning.” He headed into a different hut and closed the door.</p>
<p>Rey hopped down the path to their new home. Finn followed slowly. </p>
<p>Finn surveyed the small space. Two bunks set into the stone walls on opposite sides of the hut. No other furnishings adorned the space.</p>
<p>Rey crashed onto the bunk on the left. “We’re finally here,” she whispered at the ceiling. She rolled onto her side. “Finn, we’re going to be Jedi!” A grin lit up her face.</p>
<p>Finn smiled, but his stomach clenched. He had to face the elephant in the room. He was encroaching on Rey’s training. She was the one Skywalker wanted. He didn’t belong here.</p>
<p>Rey laid back and fell immediately asleep. Finn lay down, but sleep alluded him. Doubt bubbled up like water in a well. He’d second guessed this course of action since the second he’d agreed to go with Rey. The Resistance needed fighters. They needed every available body to hold back the First Order. How incredibly selfish of Finn to think he could walk away from the fight. Once upon a time, he’d thought the First Order too powerful to confront. Now, he knew the Resistance had a chance. An even greater chance with Rey’s powers. But Finn? Did he really believe he could become a Jedi?</p>
<p>Blackness shrouded the hut when Rey sat bolt upright. Finn startled.</p>
<p>“What’s going on?” He whispered. </p>
<p>Rey didn’t answer. She slid out of bed. Without looking at Finn, Rey walked out of the hut. Finn scrambled for his boots. He ran after Rey.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he caught up to her. “What is it?”</p>
<p>She didn’t pause in her trek. </p>
<p>“Rey?” Finn reached out. The hair on his arms stood straight up. He snatched his hand back. Finn wavered. Rey couldn’t hear him. He wasn’t even sure she was awake. She continued walking, climbing up the sharp incline of the island. Finn kept step with her. He continued softly calling her name, hoping to snap her out of her state.<br/>
Rey reached the peak of the island. She set her feet at the cliff edge. Finn’s heart stuttered. He stretched his hand out to yank her away from the sheer drop off.</p>
<p>Rey threw her head back and screamed. </p>
<p>The air vaporized in Finn’s lungs. He grabbed Rey, pulling her against his body. She slumped, going limp in his arms. </p>
<p>Footsteps pounded the trail behind him. Finn turned. Skywalker raced up the slope. His beard and hair stood on end. </p>
<p>“What is this?” Skywalker demanded.</p>
<p>Finn shook his head. “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>Rey stirred in his arms. A light rain began to fall.</p>
<p>Skywalker said, “Let’s get her inside.”</p>
<p>Finn scooped Rey up. She weighed barely anything. Skywalker led Finn into his own hut. The hearth glowed with warm coals. The hut looked exactly like Finn and Rey’s except for the addition of the table and chair. Skywalker gestured for Finn to lay Rey down on his bunk. He did. Skywalker tossed a thick woolen blanket over Rey. Her eyelids flickered, but she didn’t wake. </p>
<p>Skywalker knelt at Rey’s side. He gripped her hand in both of his own. Finn fidgeted behind him. </p>
<p>“Is she okay?” Finn asked.</p>
<p>“Hush,” Skywalker closed his eyes. Finn felt a tug in his gut, like energy pulled towards the pair. </p>
<p>Rey opened her eyes. She sat up. Finn moved to block the door, thinking she would walk out again. Rey frowned at Finn.</p>
<p>“What happened?” She asked.</p>
<p>“That’s what I’d like to know,” Finn snapped.</p>
<p>“What did you see?” Skywalker asked Rey.</p>
<p>She blinked. “Kylo Ren. He’s looking for us.” She lifted her gaze to Finn. “He doesn’t know you’re here.”</p>
<p>“Does he know where here is?” Skywalker demanded. </p>
<p>“No,” Rey shook her head. “It frustrated him. He wants you, Master Skywalker.”</p>
<p>Skywalker huffed a cruel laugh. “He’ll have to try harder than Force visions.” He clapped Rey on the shoulder. “Today we learn how to shield our minds from intruders.”</p>
<p>“Today?” Finn looked to the window. Sunrise turned the grey clouds silver. </p>
<p>	***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finn hated Force training. He sat cross legged on a rock exposed to the wind and rain for over an hour. His legs fell asleep ages ago. With his eyes closed, Finn couldn’t tell when Skywalker would decide to lash out with the Force. Finn’s mind shield felt like a wet carboard box against a dragon. The shield wobbled. Skywalker struck. </p>
<p>The Jakku night blazed in his mind. Explosions and blaster bolts shot back and forth. Fire raced along Finn’s nerves. He yelped, his eyes snapping open. </p>
<p>“That’s not fair,” Finn gasped. Skywalker stood over him. </p>
<p>“Nothing is fair in life,” Skywalker growled. “Less so for a Jedi. Kylo Ren is already a master in the Force. You have to be strong.”</p>
<p>Skywalker turned on Rey. She sat serenely; her hands folded on her crossed knees. With his shields shattered, Finn felt the surge of Force energy unleashed over Rey. She didn’t so much as flinch. Skywalker’s attempt to pierce her mind flowed over her like water over a pebble. Meanwhile, she sat safe inside her pebble, unconcerned with the tides of Skywalker’s offence.</p>
<p>“Good,” Skywalker nodded. “Keep yourself calm. Emotion clouds judgement.”</p>
<p>“Bull,” Finn snapped. </p>
<p>Skywalker whirled on him. “Ridding yourself of attachments is the first rule of the Jedi order,” he said.</p>
<p>“Emotions make us stronger,” Finn argued. “They connect us to people. Give us something to fight for.”</p>
<p>“Fighting, yes,” Skywalker countered. “Anger, fear, hatred, pride, greed, all of these are paths to the Dark Side. With your powers in the Force comes a responsibility to remain in the Light. You have to guard against temptation.”</p>
<p>Skywalker didn’t let Finn argue. He swept passed Finn, his cloak snapping in the wind. “Training is done for today,” Skywalker said.</p>
<p>Rey opened her eyes. She let out a breath like a sigh. “Isn’t this amazing?” She asked. “We’re learning to be Jedi.”</p>
<p>“Maybe you are,” Finn grumbled.</p>
<p>“Oh, come on,” Rey reached over and shoved his shoulder. “It’s only day one. You’ll get better.”</p>
<p>Finn didn’t say what he was thinking. That Skywalker ended the training as soon as Rey had mastered the technique. But Skywalker hadn’t bothered to finish teaching Finn.  </p>
<p>Rey got stronger and stronger. Every day she mastered a new use of the Force. Meanwhile, Finn struggled at even the most basic concepts.</p>
<p>Skywalker taught Rey to lift pebbles off the ground without touching them. Then Rey lifted bigger rocks off the ground. The next day, she spun thirteen rocks around her head in a wobbling circle. Every few minutes, Skywalker tossed another rock into the swirling mass. </p>
<p>At the same time, Finn continued to struggle with his measly pebble. He stared hard at it, wishing, hoping, waiting. He stared so hard a sweat broke out on his forehead. </p>
<p>“Come on, come on,” Finn mumbled. “Just one little wiggle. Come on.”</p>
<p>“The Force doesn’t work that way,” Skywalker said. </p>
<p>“Then tell me,” Finn barked. “How exactly does the Force work? How is it supposed to feel?”</p>
<p>He expected Skywalker to walk away. Instead, the old Jedi folded his legs and sat in front of Finn. Skywalker extended a hand and touched the center of Finn’s chest.</p>
<p>“You should feel it here,” Skywalker said. “In your very core. You should be calm. Like the eye of a storm. Then,” Skywalker snapped his fingers. The pebble jumped to his hand. “The Force should react. It should flow like electricity.”</p>
<p>Finn nodded dumbly. He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. Calm. Finn made his heart settle. He measured the seconds between each heartbeat. Calm. Breath in. Out. Finn extended his mind. Opened his mental shields. The Force flooded in. It didn’t feel like electricity. It felt like water rushing into every crack, every pore of Finn’s being. He became a cup overflowing. He let some of that water rush out. </p>
<p>Finn knew the instant something went wrong. The pebble zoomed so fast it shot at his own face. Finn yelped. He cracked his eyes open. The pebble hovered directly in front of his face. Skywalker’s hand splayed right behind it, holding the rock in place. Finn realised if Skywalker hadn’t anticipated, the stone would have gone right through Finn’s eye. He swallowed hard.</p>
<p>“Control,” Skywalker admonished. “Is the most important discipline a Jedi can learn. That is why we start small.”</p>
<p>The rocks around Rey crashed to the ground. Finn looked up. Rey stretched her hands over her head. “Are we done today?” She asked. </p>
<p>“You are,” Skywalker said. “Go make dinner. We’re going to work a little longer.”</p>
<p>Finn tried to squash his disappointment. He’d wanted more training. Now that Skywalker offered it, Finn couldn’t refuse.</p>
<p>Skywalker waited until Rey vanished down the path to the huts before he spoke.</p>
<p>“I sense great frustration in you,” Skywalker said. “Master it, or it will sour into resentment.”</p>
<p>Finn wanted to say that any resentment was Skywalker’s fault. If his teacher would only spare Finn half the dedication and praise he gave to Rey, then maybe Finn wouldn’t feel like a pot left to simmer on the stove. Maybe he wouldn’t feel like boiling over all the time. </p>
<p>“I don’t have time to coddle you,” Skywalker said as though he’d read Finn’s mind. “The fate of the galaxy lies with you and Rey. If you fail, the Jedi and the Light will die.”</p>
<p>Finn mulled it over. </p>
<p>Skywalker placed the pebble on the ground in front of Finn. “Try again.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. May the Force be With You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Days, weeks, months. Finn lost track. Rey kept a tally on the wall of their hut, each day a scratched line on the wall of her bunk. Finn measured his time in the lessons he learned. Skywalker showed him how to lift just as many rocks as Rey. Together they ran training modules against each other. Rey’s abilities continued to come easier than Finn’s. Though, he found himself gratified that she struggled just as much as him as the lessons became harder. </p>
<p>Weeks after they landed on the island, Skywalker paused their training for lunch. Finn passed out bowls of stew and a hunk of bread each. He settled on the ground beside Rey. For the first time in days, the sun broke through the gloomy clouds. Finn tilted his head back to bask in the warmth.</p>
<p>Rey scarfed down her stew. She mopped her bowl with her bread. “Master,” she addressed Skywalker.</p>
<p>Skywalker grunted through a mouthful of food.</p>
<p>“Are we going to learn lightsaber fighting?” Rey asked. Her eyes shone with excitement.</p>
<p>Skywalker chuckled. “You want to go up against Kylo Ren again?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Rey nodded. “I can beat him. I feel it.”</p>
<p>Finn snorted. He wished he had half Rey’s confidence. He scooped a chunk of meat out of his stew.</p>
<p>Skywalker appraised Rey carefully. At last, he nodded. “I only have the one lightsaber,” he looked at Finn. “You’ll have to take turns.”</p>
<p>Finn choked on his stew. He thumped his chest. “Excuse me?” He gasped. “You want to teach me to use a lightsaber?”</p>
<p>“You were a Stormtrooper, yes?” Skywalker didn’t wait for an affirmation. “You know weapons. You’ll learn fast.”</p>
<p>“I almost cut my own hand off last time I held that thing,” Finn argued.</p>
<p>“Yes, hands are often causalities of saber battles,” Skywalker said with mirth shining in his eyes.</p>
<p>Rey practically vibrated with excitement. “When do we start?”</p>
<p>“When you’ve washed the dishes,” Skywalker grumbled. </p>
<p>Rey closed her eyes and raised her hands. She levitated Finn’s half eaten bowl right out of his hands. She ignored his squawk of protest. Rey bounded down the path, the bowls trailing along in the air behind her.</p>
<p>“That is a gross waste of the Force!” Skywalker called after her.</p>
<p>“Isn’t it better to use the Force often?” Finn asked. “It’s like a muscle, right? The more you use it the stronger it gets?”</p>
<p>“And like a muscle it can get strained and overworked,” Skywalker explained.</p>
<p>Finn waited until Rey vanished from sight. “Skywalker-,”</p>
<p>“If you’re going to be a Jedi, you’ll have to call me Master,” Skywalker interrupted. </p>
<p>Finn wrinkled his nose. “I don’t think so.” He asked what had been on his mind all these days. “After you’ve taught us, will you join us in fighting the First Order?”</p>
<p>Skywalker studied his folded hands. “No,” he said at last. “I chose my isolation for a reason. I intended to be the last Jedi. Let the old ways end.” He lifted his head. “I broke my oath for the sake of the galaxy. And because the Force told me it was right to train you.”</p>
<p>To train Rey, Finn corrected in his mind. He stayed silent. </p>
<p>Skywalker sighed. “The fight is not mine. I am not destined to face Kylo Ren.”</p>
<p>Anger rushed through Finn like a geyser. </p>
<p>Skywalker’s eyes flashed. “Master your emotions.”</p>
<p>Finn took a breath and raised his mental shields. The anger remained, bubbling inside him. Skywalker’s plan sounded selfish to Finn. For a guy who claimed to believe in peace and harmony, he sure failed at practicing it. </p>
<p>Rey came running back up the path, a grin spread over her eager face. Skywalker levered himself to his feet. “Contain yourself, padawan.”</p>
<p>Rey wiped the smile from her lips, but her eyes still shone. Skywalker removed the lightsaber from his belt and led her away towards the rock outcrop where they trained.</p>
<p>“I expect you to meditate until it’s your turn,” Skywalker said to Finn over his shoulder. </p>
<p>Finn dropped obediently into a cross legged position. He closed his eyes. The Force didn’t come naturally to Finn the way it did to Rey. He sat in silence, forcing his mind calm and waiting for the connection to the spiritual world. </p>
<p>It felt like standing on a beach and waiting for a wave to wash over him. The second the Force hit him, it rolled over Finn, filling him from head to toe. He lost sight of the shore. The Force connected everything. It tugged Finn along in its tide, showing him glimpses of things he didn’t understand. He saw a forest, a fire, a sandy desert, the light of a galaxy of stars, all combining and tumbling over each other. Only when Finn lost all sense of direction did the tide recede. It left Finn sitting back in his body, full to the brim with energy and power. When the Force filled him like this, he could do anything. </p>
<p>The Force directed him towards something on the horizon. Finn opened his eyes. A ship flew low over the waters, heading towards their island. Finn jumped to his feet. Panic seized him. Could it be the First Order? He started to call out to Skywalker. The Force washed over him in a wave of calm. Whoever piloted the approaching ship would not harm them. </p>
<p>Finn climbed up the rocky hillside to the only flat spot where a ship could land. As it came closer, Finn recognised the X-wing. He whooped, jumping up and down and waving his arms. </p>
<p>The ship descended in a cloud of dust. Finn ran for the cockpit. The pilot emerged. Curly hair, bright eyes, rakish grin. Finn collided with Poe the second the pilot’s feet hit the ground. Poe laughed, gripping the back of Finn’s jacket. </p>
<p>“Hey buddy,” Poe said. “I missed you.”</p>
<p>“Me too,” Finn clung to Poe.</p>
<p>“Poe?” Finn and Poe broke apart. Rey stood at the crest of the hill. She broke into a run.</p>
<p>“Wait-,” Finn grunted as Rey slammed into him and Poe. The trio went tumbling to the ground. Rey’s laugh echoed off the stony landscape. Finn pulled them both to their feet. Poe glanced over Finn’s shoulder. Poe stiffened. Finn turned around.</p>
<p>Skywalker looked like a wraith in his grey robes billowing in the wind and his hair and beard always disheveled. Skywalker raised his metal hand. “Welcome, traveller,” he said.</p>
<p>“Is that Luke Skywalker?” Poe asked in awe.</p>
<p>Finn nodded. “That’s the SOB who makes us call him Master.”</p>
<p>Poe laughed. The sound travelled through the Force and warmed Finn’s chest. </p>
<p>“C’mon,” Finn clasped Poe’s shoulder. He led him down to their huts, Rey chattering the whole time. Skywalker followed at a distance.</p>
<p>Finn offered Poe a seat at their firepit. He stoked the coals and prepped hot drinks for everyone. </p>
<p>“You seem happy here,” Poe said quietly. </p>
<p>Finn shrugged. “I’m happy any place the First Order isn’t.”</p>
<p>Poe’s mouth pursed. </p>
<p>Finn passed him a steaming mug. “Tell us why you’re here.”</p>
<p>Poe glanced around the fire. Rey smiled. Skywalker sat in his brooding position, hands on knees, eyes downcast.</p>
<p>Poe took a swallow of his drink. He started his tale. “The war has escalated. Kylo Ren made his move. He’s cutting a swath through the neutral planets, forcing them to join the First Order or die.”</p>
<p>“Then we have to help,” Rey said.</p>
<p>“No,” Skywalker interrupted. “You have to finish your training.”</p>
<p>“What point is training if people die while we wait?” Rey snapped.</p>
<p>“You’re not ready,” Skywalker argued. “Trust me, I know.”</p>
<p>“Because you’re so wise?” Finn grumbled.</p>
<p>Skywalker’s eyes flashed. “Because I abandoned my training to face Darth Vader. And I got people killed in my haste. I almost died. Kylo Ren will not show the mercy Vader did to me.”</p>
<p>“Mercy?” Poe’s eyebrows knotted. “I thought you and Vader-.”</p>
<p>“Darth Vader’s true name was Anakin Skywalker,” Skywalker said.</p>
<p>Rey stifled a gasp. Finn felt the surge of emotions from Poe. It was dizzying, being this sensitive around someone who had no mental shields. </p>
<p>Skywalker bowed his head. “Darth Vader was my father. Kylo Ren is my nephew.”</p>
<p>Poe swore. </p>
<p>“Your family’s all kinds of messed up,” Finn said. </p>
<p>Skywalker huffed a laugh. “The Skywalker line is one of the most powerful the Force has ever seen. And that makes us the most vulnerable to the Dark Side. I told you,” he growled. “That with power comes a responsibility to guard against temptation. The Dark Side twists the best of us.”</p>
<p>“What about our people?” Poe asked. “They’re dying out there.”</p>
<p>Skywalker shook his head. “There’s a bigger picture.”</p>
<p>“Not for them,” Finn argued. Poe threw him a grateful glance. “It’s life and death for those planets. We have to help.”</p>
<p>“Master your emotions,” Skywalker snapped. </p>
<p>“I am the master of my emotions,” Finn stood up. “But I’m not heartless. If that’s what it takes to be a Jedi, then I don’t want it.”</p>
<p>“Finn,” Rey said softly.</p>
<p>“Are you coming?” Finn demanded. He turned his back on Skywalker and faced her. “Come on, Rey. We can’t stand by. I tried walking away before. I won’t do it again.”</p>
<p>Rey’s gaze flickered between Finn ands Skywalker. Her mouth formed a thin line. Finn’s heart sank. </p>
<p>Rey stood. She crossed the circle passed Finn to Skywalker. </p>
<p>“Master Skywalker,” Rey bowed her head. “Thank you for your teachings. We will return, if you’ll allow it.”</p>
<p>“You won’t,” Skywalker grumbled. “If you go now, you will fail.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Rey tipped her head. “Master Skywalker, are you certain? I’m listening with the Force, and it tells me to go.”</p>
<p>“The Dark Side tempts you,” Skywalker argued.</p>
<p>Finn crossed his arms over his chest. “We have to go now. Rey.”</p>
<p>Rey’s eyes shone with unshed tears. She turned and stomped away from the fire. Poe followed her. Finn hesitated on the edge of the firelight. </p>
<p>“Master Skywalker,” Finn said without meeting his teacher’s eye. “Thank you for teaching me. Even though you didn’t want to.”</p>
<p>Skywalker let out an angry grunt. Finn’s eyes snapped up. </p>
<p>Skywalker scowled at Finn. “I broke tradition for you, made you my Padawan. You still don’t understand what that means, do you?”</p>
<p>Finn swallowed hard.</p>
<p>“I would have died for you,” Skywalker said. Finn felt no lie in the Force. “But your own uncertainty may kill you first. Finn,” Rare emotion slipped through Skywalker’s voice. “Whatever choice you make, believe in yourself. You are one with the Force.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Finn mumbled. He hurried after Poe before Skywalker could see the relief in his eyes. </p>
<p>Finn hopped up into the X-wing. It was a tight fit with three people. Rey’s elbow dug into his ribs. </p>
<p>“Everybody ready?” Poe flicked the instruments on his panel. </p>
<p>“Ready for war?” Finn said with acid.</p>
<p>“Ready to face Kylo Ren,” Rey confirmed. </p>
<p>The ship rattled off the ground. Finn twisted to watch the island grow smaller and smaller beneath them. Just before the clouds enveloped them, Finn caught sight of a lone figure on the mountain top. Skywalker raised a hand. </p>
<p>Finn heard a voice in his head. "May the Force be with you."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Encounter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This fic is not dead! I'm just new to the Star Wars world and so I took some time to research and learn some lore in order to be more accurate.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was not enough room in the back of Poe’s X-wing for two adults, no matter how skinny Rey was. Her elbow kept digging into Finn’s ribs. Anxiety hummed through Finn’s every nerve. </p>
<p>“Tell us what’s been happening,” Finn asked Poe. </p>
<p>Poe sighed. The piercing light of stars rushing by at lightspeed played with the shadows of his face. “A lot has changed. Kylo Ren’s followers have been getting stronger. The First Order keeps attacking supply chains, cutting off planets until they have to align with him in order to receive basic food and medicines. It’s guerrilla warfare in every sector.”</p>
<p>“How have we been fighting back?” Finn leaned forward, jostling Rey. She shoved him and he yelped when something sharp poked his side.</p>
<p>“Hey, settle down,” Poe scolded. “Just get some rest. It’ll be hours before we get there.”</p>
<p>Finn grumbled, shuffling to try to get comfortable. Rey leaned her head on Finn’s shoulder and fell instantly asleep. Finn recalled the bizarre visions Rey kept having. They gave him the heebie-jeebies. Finn told himself he’d stay awake to keep the dreams at bay. He watched the streaks of light out the cockpit window. They were hypnotising. In moments, Finn dropped off into sleep.</p>
<p>Finn dreamed of an ocean of sand. The dry heat reminded him of Jakku. Two suns beat down on his head. Finn turned in a slow circle. He saw nothing but sand in every direction. Then, a figure appeared over a dune. The outline wavered with the heat rising off the sand. Slowly, the man approached Finn. Finn didn’t feel afraid. Somehow, he knew this person meant him no harm. </p>
<p>At last, the man stopped in front of Finn. He lowered the hood of his brown robes. Ginger hair gone grey at the temples faded into a ginger beard. The man smiled at Finn, revealing laugh lines around his blue eyes. </p>
<p>“Hello there. I am Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.”</p>
<p>“Hi. I’m Finn.” Finn shuffled his feet. Curiosity tugged at his gut. </p>
<p>Obi-Wan’s smile grew. “Finn. What a conundrum you are.”</p>
<p>Finn frowned. </p>
<p>Obi-Wan continued. “A Stormtrooper strong in the Force who refuses to give in to the teachings of the only Jedi left to teach him.”</p>
<p>“I’m not a Stormtrooper anymore,” Finn said with a twinge of hurt.</p>
<p>“Indeed,” Obi-Wan said. “You are key among the players who will bring down the First Order.”</p>
<p>Finn sucked in a breath. “Then we can kill Kylo Ren?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan shook his head. “My padawan’s grandson does not have to fall so far. Redemption is always within grasp. Where the dark is thickest, there the smallest spark shines brightest.”</p>
<p>“I don’t understand,” Finn admitted. “I think I need more Jedi training. I’m not ready. Not like Rey.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan hummed. “What do you feel between you and your master?”</p>
<p>“Skywalker?” Finn could think of a thousand words. Contempt. Disinterest. Mistrust. They’d been doing better recently, but the hurt feelings remained under the surface.</p>
<p>“A master and padawan link should feel like a connection,” Obi-Wan explained.</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan looked out over the dunes. “Something should shift inside. It should feel like a missing piece sliding into place. Like seeing the person you’ve been waiting for your entire life.”</p>
<p>Finn sagged. “It doesn’t feel that way between us.”</p>
<p>“Then perhaps you have the wrong master,” Obi-Wan said.</p>
<p>Finn’s head jerked up. “Are there any other Jedi who could help me? I thought they were all dead.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan sighed. “Many, many lives have been lost between he Sith and the Jedi. Few of any Force sensitive beings have the proper training anymore. But there may be one left aside from Luke.” Obi-Wan chewed his lip in contemplation. At last, he nodded to himself. “She will have to get over herself sooner or later. Perhaps you will push her back to the light for good.”</p>
<p>“Who?” Finn demanded. </p>
<p>Obi-Wan faded. Finn distantly knew he was waking up. He scrambled to hold onto the vision. “Who am I looking for?”</p>
<p>“Go to Tatooine. Force knows everything starts there.”</p>
<p>Finn jerked awake with Obi-Wan’s voice ringing in his ears. “Go to Tatooine.”</p>
<p>He realised the jerk had been physical the moment Finn’s eyes opened. The ship twisted hard to the side, slamming Finn’s shoulder into the hull. He yelped.</p>
<p>“Hang on!” Poe hammered at the controls.</p>
<p> Finn scanned frantically for the disturbance. The X-wing had fallen out of hyper-space. The stars hung stationary again in the distance. The ship barrelled left and right, throwing Finn around like a ragdoll. Rey gripped his arm. Her face was white as she stared out the cockpit window. A planet glowed white in their view.</p>
<p>“He’s here,” Rey whispered. </p>
<p>A flash of green blaster fire zipped past them. Finn grabbed the cockpit handle over his head.</p>
<p>“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Poe exclaimed.</p>
<p>“What?” Finn gripped the handle harder.</p>
<p>“That’s him!” Poe jammed them into a turn. “That’s Kylo Ren’s ship!”</p>
<p>Finn’s stomach lurched. He didn’t know if it was fear or the barrel roll that caused the nausea. </p>
<p>Something slammed into them hard. Finn’s forehead cracked against the back of Poe’s chair. Rey screamed.</p>
<p>“We’re hit!” Poe yanked on the controls. “We’ve got to land.”</p>
<p>“Here?” Finn exclaimed. “Where even are we?”</p>
<p>“We can land here or we can explode,” Poe snapped. The nose of the ship dipped and they dived for the planet’s surface. </p>
<p>“You’re accelerating too fast!” Finn exclaimed.</p>
<p>“Gotta make him think we’re crashing. Maybe he’ll leave us alone,” Poe said through clenched teeth.</p>
<p>“We are going to crash if you don’t ease off,” Finn snapped.</p>
<p>“Shut up and let me fly!”</p>
<p>Green blaster fire sizzling past told Finn that Kylo Ren hadn’t given up pursuit yet.</p>
<p>Finn tried to crane his neck to see the ship behind them. Poe leaned hard on the joystick. They spun in a complicated evasive maneuver. The damaged ship groaned. Something rattled behind Finn’s head. </p>
<p>Poe cursed. “Hang on. This is going to be bumpy.”</p>
<p>The planet’s surface came at them fast. The atmosphere burned around the cockpit. Finn grabbed Rey’s hand. For once, she didn’t shove him off. </p>
<p>The ground rushed at them. Poe strained against the ship. “Some magic voodoo would come in handy now,” he growled. </p>
<p>Rey pressed a hand against the ship’s hull. Finn closed his eyes and searched for the Force. It ebbed and flowed, dancing away from his grip. He couldn’t grasp it any easier than pinning down a wave to the beach. His brow furrowed with frustration. “Please, come on, come on,” he mumbled over and over. </p>
<p>The jarring force of slamming into the planet’s surface knocked Finn almost out of his seat. The metal of the ship screamed. Rey shouted. The ship spun. Finn’s vision flashed with blue and white as the sky and the ground traded places. The ship screeched to a halt against the base of a tree. </p>
<p>Finn shook his head to clear it. He hung suspended in his harness. The ceiling of the ship rocked below him. </p>
<p>Poe groaned from the pilot’s seat. “Everybody okay?”</p>
<p>Rey huffed a laugh. “We survived.”</p>
<p>The smell of smoke reached Finn’s nose. “What’s burning?”</p>
<p>Poe’s head jerked. “Us. Out, now!”</p>
<p>Finn scrabbled at his harness. The belt released and toppled him onto the ceiling turned floor. He grunted as his shoulder hit the metal. Finn reached for Rey, supporting her neck and preventing her head from hitting the floor when she unlatched her harness. She got her feet under her and Finn clambered over the ship’s interior to Poe. </p>
<p>Poe struggled with the hatch release for the cockpit. “It’s stuck,” he grumbled. “It won’t open while we’re upside down.”</p>
<p>“Move,” Rey scrambled over Finn. She closed her eyes and lifted her hands. The clear transparasteel cracked and exploded outwards.</p>
<p>Finn and Poe exchanged an awed glance. </p>
<p>Rey hopped out of the ship and started taking in their surroundings. The smoke smell was getting thicker. Finn helped Poe disengage his harness and crawl through the shattered cockpit. </p>
<p>Dead leaves crunched under Finn’s boots. Black barked trees towered over them in every direction, their canopy’s blocking the fading light of day. </p>
<p>Poe turned his attention to the ship. He surveyed the flames on the wing, and noted that they weren’t in danger of the fuel exploding yet. </p>
<p>“Kylo Ren will follow the smoke,” Poe noted. As he spoke, the whine of an engine rose over the trees. Finn instinctively ducked. The black New Order ship sliced overhead. It shot off into the distance. For half a second, Finn hoped Kylo Ren hadn’t seen them. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of a Tie fighter winding down in descent. </p>
<p>“He’s coming,” Finn said. He stared between Rey’s blank face and Poe’s frown. “What do we do?”</p>
<p>“I’ll lead him away,” Rey said. She unclipped the lightsaber at her belt.</p>
<p>“No, stay here!” Poe shouted. </p>
<p>“I can do this.” Rey spun and ran into the trees. </p>
<p>“Rey!” Finn took off after her. Poe’s cries faded as Finn zig zagged through the trees after Rey’s retreating form. Finn felt the Force heave around them. Something soured the air under his tongue. Something evil had landed on this planet. It could only be Kylo Ren. </p>
<p>Finn rounded a tree and skidded to a halt. The red sizzling lightsaber in Kylo Ren’s hand scorched the trunk of a tree as Rey danced out of his reach. </p>
<p>Kylo Ren’s gaze lifted to Finn. His face twisted into a sneer. “The traitor.”</p>
<p>Finn bared his teeth in anger. He rushed to Rey’s side.</p>
<p>“We’ve done this dance before,” Kylo Ren mocked. Finn swallowed hard. The memory of his own flesh seared by that red lightsaber haunt him. </p>
<p>Kylo Ren extended a hand to Rey. “Join me or die.”</p>
<p>“Never,” Rey shouted.</p>
<p>They moved in unison. Finn dove around Kylo Ren. Rey slashed at Kylo Ren’s face. He parried the blow. Rey swept her leg at his ankles. Kylo Ren buckled to his knees. Finn darted behind Kylo Ren. Rey drew the lightsaber back behind her head in preparation for the killing blow. Kylo Ren prepared to block. Rey threw the lightsaber. It cartwheeled over Kylo Ren’s head. Finn thrust out his hand. He caught the lightsaber in his fist and slashed down at Kylo Ren. <br/>Kylo Ren yelled as the lightsaber cut through flesh. Finn felt a surge of vindication. </p>
<p>Kylo Ren’s red ‘saber slashed upwards suddenly. Finn’s world slowed to an instant. Rey, unprotected, took the blow to her ribs. A scream ripped at Finn’s throat as Rey fell to her knees. </p>
<p>Finn saw red. The handle of his lightsaber crashed down on Kylo Ren’s skull. Kylo Ren toppled to the ground. </p>
<p>Finn tossed the lightsaber aside. He dropped to Rey’s side. She clutched at her stomach. Finn eased her to the ground on her back. Her face was ashen already. </p>
<p>“No, no, please,” Finn begged the universe. “Rey, don’t go.”</p>
<p>Her eyes slipped shut.</p>
<p>Finn pressed his hands to the wound. Blood bubbled under his fingers. Finn shut his eyes. The Force floated just beyond his grasp. His ragged breathing kept shoving the delicate streams of the Force out of reach. Finn emptied his mind. He let his focus turn from Rey under his hands to the calm he needed to feel the Force. His breathing evened. </p>
<p>The Force slammed into Finn like a tsunami. The wave surged through him into Rey, as if she was the target all along. The Force wanted her alive. It needed her alive. Finn lent everything he had to the Force. He offered up himself to save Rey. Anything for Rey. Just fix her. Just heal her. </p>
<p>Finn hardly noticed his own vision blurring. His limbs went numb. He kept pressing the Force into Rey. Darkness crept into the edges of his sight. </p>
<p>Rey jerked underneath Finn. Her eyes flew open. She sat up so quickly she dislodged Finn. Finn reeled. He fell back on his heels. The world spun. The Force hummed through Finn. He did it. He saved Rey. He could rest. Finn accepted the dark.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finn’s awareness returned in short bouts. He heard the hum of voices he didn’t recognise. A pinch in his temples drew him further out of the lull of unconsciousness. Finn opened his eyes with a groan. A blurry white blob slowly focused into a sterile medical room. Sheets scratched under his hands. A wide window looked out onto a bustling town surrounded by trees.</p>
<p>“Finn? Hey, buddy,” Poe’s pinched face came into view. He sat at Finn’s elbow in a stiff-backed chair. </p>
<p>“Where am I?” Finn croaked.</p>
<p>“Medical facility,” Poe said tersely. “You were in a bad way.”</p>
<p>Finn frowned. “You’re upset.”</p>
<p>Poe breathed heavily through his nose. He wouldn’t look at Finn. </p>
<p>“I did what I had to,” Finn said.</p>
<p>Poe whirled on him, shouting. “You idiot! You could have died.”</p>
<p>“Is Rey okay?” Finn voice cracked. His mouth was parched. </p>
<p>“She’s fine. But you’re not.” Poe ground out. </p>
<p>“I had to,” Finn repeated. “She’s the Jedi. We need her.”</p>
<p>“We need you too,” Poe snapped.</p>
<p>Finn shook his head. “No. There is only one padawan. Skywalker kept saying that. He knew. Knew I wasn’t going to be any use.”</p>
<p>Poe stood so abruptly Finn startled. The sheets rustled around him. </p>
<p>“Is that what the Force says to you?” Poe growled. “That you have no place? Because I’m pretty sure saving Rey’s life, though stupid as hell, was a good thing. So figure out exactly where this is coming from, because if the Force is telling you you’re only good as a sacrifice, then screw the Force.” Poe softened slightly. “Finn, you’re more than that. You have to know that.”</p>
<p>Finn sat in stunned silence. He didn’t know how to explain the way the Force needed Rey. She had a purpose that Finn didn’t fit into. She was meant to end this war, he knew it. But Finn? He didn’t know what the Force wanted him for. Maybe he’d been gifted the Force just to save Rey’s life in that one moment. </p>
<p>Poe sighed. He clapped a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “Get some more rest. You’re going to need it.”</p>
<p>Poe left Finn stewing in thought. Exhaustion washed over him suddenly. Finn leaned back into his pillows. Just as he drifted off, he remembered his dream. </p>
<p>“Go to Tatooine.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Tatooine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The war stagnated with Kylo Ren captured. Finn found himself growing restless in the confines of the rebel base. The urges of his dream continued to plague him. Finally, Finn gave in. He caught a ride to Tatooine and landed in the town of Mos Pelgo. </p>
<p>No one Finn talked to knew of a Jedi. Some old folks spoke of the Skywalker clan that was born in their desert, but the Skywalkers never stayed. Finn decided that without any other leads, he’d go see the Skywalker moisture farm. He got directions and headed off into the desert.</p>
<p>“Well, this is a dead end,” Finn muttered to himself. He sat down in the shade of a dune. The suns shifted overhead while Finn drank from his canteen. The light suddenly glinted off something in the distance. Finn shaded his eyes and squinted. Something squat and metal caught the light just beyond the ridge. Finn scrambled for his binocs. It looked like a tent through the lenses. He could identify a wind propeller for electricity on the top of a tarped roof. The propeller flashed in the sun with every rotation.</p>
<p>Finn gathered his things. His heart pounded. This had to be where the Force was leading him. Whoever lived in the tent must have answers. </p>
<p>Finn staggered across the dunes. As he drew nearer, Finn realised how temporary the tent structure appeared. It looked as though it had been pitched only to shade someone from the harsh suns.</p>
<p>Anticipation hummed in Finn’s bones. The tent neared around the side of one last dune. Finn rounded the corner. The hum became a shriek of warning. Finn slammed to a halt, just as a blur of light slashed through the air where his head would have been. </p>
<p>A cloaked figure pressed the attack. Twin lightsaber blades hacked at Finn. He ducked and the sand behind him exploded. </p>
<p>Finn let out an undignified scream. He threw his hands up in front of his face. “Obi-Wan sent me!” He yelled.</p>
<p>Finn’s eyes squeezed shut. He braced for the death blow. It didn’t come. Finn cracked his eyes open. The humming lightsabers hovered a mere inch from his throat. </p>
<p>“What did you say?” A hoarse voice came from the other end of the ‘sabers. </p>
<p>Finn looked down the glowing white weapons. A weathered Torgruta face with distinctive white markings on orange skin stared back at Finn. </p>
<p>Finn gulped. “I said, Obi-Wan Kenobi sent me here. He appeared to me in a dream and said I would find answers on Tatooine.”</p>
<p>The female Torgruta’s eyes narrowed, “Tatooine is a big place. How did you find me?”</p>
<p>“I followed the Force.”</p>
<p>She regarded him dubiously. “So, a Force sensitive who just happened to escape the purges of the First Order also just happened to find their way to me?”</p>
<p>Finn swallowed the urge to say he hadn’t escaped the First Order purges. “My name is Finn. I started my Jedi training with Luke Skywalker-.”</p>
<p>The Jedi woman snorted. Her lightsabers retracted with a hiss. She hooked her ‘saber handles to her belt and turned on her heel. Her cloak swished around her bent shoulders. She marched across the sand towards her tent. Finn scrambled to follow. </p>
<p>“Wait! I need your help. The First Order is too strong for the Resistance.”</p>
<p>The woman did not pause. She shuffled at a trudging pace, bent over with age but no less regal, Finn thought. Finn caught up with her.</p>
<p>“Kylo Ren is destroying the galaxy. My friend Rey is strong with the Force. Rey thinks she can redeem Ren to the light.” Finn tried to explain.</p>
<p>“The Skywalkers have never listened to sense. Force knows I’ve tried.” She threw her hands up in the air and continued shuffling. Finn paused at the realisation that this Jedi knew Kylo Ren’s heritage.</p>
<p>Finn watched her making her way over the sand. Something in the back of his head clicked together. The stories of the Clone Wars, the Great Resistance, and the Jedi legends fell into place. </p>
<p>“You’re Ahsoka Tano,” Finn breathed.</p>
<p>“Obi-Wan!” Ahsoka shouted suddenly. Finn jumped. Ahsoka shook her fist at the sky. “I know you’re somehow a part of this. Stop your meddling and stay dead, old man.” She sagged suddenly. “I will join you shortly,” she said softly. “Then we can both rest.”</p>
<p>Her head sank to her chest. Finn remained silent for a long time, watching Ahsoka struggle with a burden he didn’t understand. He felt like an intruder on her private grief. The twin suns of Tatooine sank towards the horizon.</p>
<p>Finn broke the silence with a soft question. “You knew Obi-Wan?”</p>
<p>Ahsoka drew a deep breath. It rattled in her chest. “I did. He was perhaps the galaxy’s greatest Jedi.”</p>
<p>Finn perked up. “Did he teach you to be a Jedi?”</p>
<p>“I am not a Jedi,” Ahsoka growled. “I left that path years ago, when I was still a padawan. I cannot train you to be a Jedi.”</p>
<p>“Maybe I don’t want to be a Jedi,” Finn blurted out. The words surprised him, but they settled right in his core. “I just need someone to show me how to control this thing I have.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka regarded him with narrowed eyes. At last, she nodded to herself. “Come inside. It will be dark and cold soon.”</p>
<p>Finn followed her inside her tent. The flap pulled back to reveal a simple bedroll laid out and a cooking fire smoldering with embers. </p>
<p>Ahsoka sat on the bedroll with her legs crossed. Finn arranged himself of the rug on the other side of the fire. Ahsoka busied herself making tea over the embers. She passed Finn a cup he accepted with relief.</p>
<p>Through the curling steam of her own tea, Ahsoka regarded Finn. “So, you met Luke Skywalker.”</p>
<p>Finn swallowed. “Do you know him?”</p>
<p>Ahsoka sniffed. “I never had the occasion. I’ve tried to avoid Skywalkers since the fall of the Jedi temples.”</p>
<p>“Why’s that?” Finn pressed.</p>
<p>Ahsoka frowned. “Your Force signature is strong,” she said suddenly. “Why aren’t you with Skywalker, learning the ways of the Jedi? Why leave?</p>
<p>Finn tipped his mug back and forth. The grey liquid ebbed and flowed like the Force within Finn. “I don’t believe in the Jedi way,” Finn said carefully. “I think emotional attachments make us stronger, not weaker. I think we should integrate into society, not isolate ourselves.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka wrinkled her nose. “So, you went looking for a new teacher. And you thought I could do the job.”</p>
<p>“You wield lightsabers,” Finn pointed out. “The weapons of a Jedi.”</p>
<p>“Or a Sith,” Ahsoka snapped. She withdrew one of her sabers and activated it. Finn fought the urge to flinch away from the white light. </p>
<p>“Do you know what the colours of a lightsaber symbolise?” Ahsoka asked.</p>
<p>Finn shook his head. </p>
<p>“A Jedi uses the light side of the Force. The ‘saber turns green or blue or purple. But a Sith draws on the dark side. That corruption turns a ‘saber red.”</p>
<p>Finn studied her lightsaber. “Yours are white.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka quirked a small smile. “White or yellow is for balance. Not light, not dark. Only the Force. I have pledged my allegiance to no one and no creed except to walk the space between the Jedi and Sith.”</p>
<p>“That sounds,” Finn searched for the word. “Lonely.” Yet he couldn’t ignore the way his blood had thrummed at the idea. </p>
<p>Ahsoka gestured to her grubby tent. “Do I look overwhelmed by an abundance of guests? Choosing this way cost me everything. But,” she lifted a spindly finger. “I have never regretted it. Once I found freedom in the Force, I found a clarity I’ve never had before.”</p>
<p>Finn set down his mug. “Teach me.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka shook her head. “You don’t want me, young man.”</p>
<p>“I do,” Finn argued. “You said you made your choice to be a balance. I’ve never felt right with Luke’s way of wielding the Force. And I sure as kriff ain’t trying the Sith way.” He looked up at Ahsoka’s tired face. “I’ve always been the outlier. I’m the Stormtrooper who rebelled, the rebel without a leader, the padawan whose master didn’t want him.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka set her mug gently on the ground. “I have made my decision,” she said. “It’s time to get some rest. You’ll have a long walk back to town tomorrow.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Disturbance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Finn dreamed of a deep sea. He floated on the surface, basking in the rays of the sun warming his face while the water cooled his back. He relaxed, and he slipped under the water. The light flickered and fractured when he opened his eyes. Finn stretched out his hands and felt the currents shifting under his fingers. Finn kicked his legs and pushed himself a little deeper. He could feel all kinds of sea creatures surrounding him. The seas teemed with life. It gave him a giddy pleasure. Finn pushed deeper, searching for more. The light faded. Finn rolled and ducked on the currents. It felt like flying. Finn rocketed down into the depths. Suddenly, Finn realised he couldn’t see his hands in front of him propelling himself forward. Finn tried to stop. He kicked for the surface. The current wrapped around him and dragged him down. Finn’s lungs screamed. The pressure on his chest built. Finn sank faster and faster. The deep enclosed him, where no light had ever penetrated the dark. Finn screamed.</p><p>Finn woke with a start. The dark surrounded him. Finn trashed and fell off his bedroll. He spit out a mouthful of sand. Sweat rolled down his spine, the wetness reminding him too vividly of his dream. Finn lay on the ground catching his breath for a long minute. Eventually he remembered where he was. Ahsoka’s tent felt cold and empty. Finn looked up and found Ahsoka’s nest of blankets abandoned. Finn tugged on his jacket to ward against the desert cold and exited the tent.</p><p> The stars shone in constellations Finn had never seen before. And yet, he knew that out there Jakku, Coruscant, and even Mandalore shone like beacons. Every time Finn reached a new planet, he marveled at how the universe arranged itself in an infinite cosmic dance. </p><p>Finn caught sight of Ahsoka sitting a little ways off in the sand. Her legs crossed in front of her and even in the dim light of the stars Finn could see her eyes were shut. She was not sleeping.</p><p>A pale figure as translucent as a hologram sat in front of Ahsoka. The person spoke quietly. Finn approached.</p><p>The figure shimmered with a glow that Finn could feel like heat rippling off it. It was not a hologram. </p><p>“The padawan needs training,” the person said. Their face was hidden in the shade of a cloak.</p><p>“I cannot,” Ahsoka answered. She bowed her head and her long lekku touched the sand. </p><p>“There is something brewing Ahsoka,” the figure said. “There is no time for him to find another teacher. The Force is jumbled about him. Light and Dark war around his Force signature, but he remains grey as a stone.”</p><p>Finn sucked in a startled breath. He had no doubt the person spoke about him. How did they know him?</p><p>The figure looked up over Ahsoka’s shoulder. Their eyes met Finn’s.</p><p>“We have a visitor. Come on out.”</p><p>Ahsoka’s head snapped up. Her old eyes blazed with fire. </p><p>Finn stepped forward. “Who are you?” He asked.</p><p>“This is Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka said grudgingly.</p><p>Kenobi removed his hood. Finn recognised the ginger hair going grey at the temples. </p><p>“Obi-Wan!” Finn exclaimed. “You told me to come here in my dream.”</p><p>“Meddler,” Ahsoka mumbled. </p><p>The Jedi’s glow intensified. “Hello Finn.”</p><p>Finn’s gaze flashed between Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. “Were you Ahsoka’s Master?”</p><p>“No,” Obi-Wan chuckled. “That honour belongs to my padawan, Anakin.” Obi-Wan turned soft eyes on Ahsoka. “He stills asks about you.”</p><p>“Master,” Ahsoka sighed. “Remind him again he is forgiven. But I will not speak to him until I join the Force.”</p><p>Obi-Wan let the conversation go. “We have other matters to discuss. This one needs training.” He gestured to Finn.</p><p>“No, do not ask again,” Ahsoka snapped.</p><p>“If not you, who Ahsoka?” Obi-Wan’s voice took on an edge.</p><p>“Could you teach me?” Finn blurted out.</p><p>Obi-Wan’s eyes widened. “Teach the ways of the Force from beyond the grave? That is a novel idea.”</p><p>The apparition flickered and vanished.</p><p>Finn startled. “What happened? Obi-Wan?”</p><p>Then Finn felt it. A sensation through the Force. Like a tide pulling back leaving him bereft with nothing but sharp rocks and cold wind. </p><p>Ahsoka gasped too. She clutched at her chest. “Something is not right.”</p><p>“What does it mean?” Finn fought down the panic rising through him. Peace, Skywalker had said. Find your inner peace. Give your fear to the Force. Finn tried. He opened himself. </p><p>There was nothing there.</p><p>The Force was gone. </p><p>He was an empty shell without the Force to fill the space between his ribs.</p><p>The Force came back in a rush, the exact opposite of the horrid sensation before. Like the waves approaching the shore and tickling over Finn’s toes. But Finn remained uneasy.</p><p>For a moment the Force had gone, left him. Ahsoka felt it too. He could see the same bewildered fear in her eyes. </p><p>“What do we do?” Finn asked.</p><p>Ahsoka’s face hardened. “I will continue communing with the Force. Perhaps a Master other than Obi-Wan has answers for us.”</p><p>“I need to talk to Rey,” Finn said. His head still spun with the gaping wound the Force had left behind. Though it had refilled, the gnawing wrongness ate at Finn. He caught himself rubbing his chest where the emptiness had yawned like a cavity.</p><p>Rey, he told himself. She would know what to do. And if not her, Skywalker.</p><p>Finn hurried back to the tent. He dug into his pack and found his radio. He called the Resistance frequency.</p><p>“Finn, is that you?” Poe’s familiar voice soothed Finn more than he cared to admit.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s me. Poe? I need to talk to Rey.”</p><p>“Thank the stars you’re alright,” Poe said. </p><p>“I’m good,” Finn answered. “But I have to speak to Rey. Now.”</p><p>“Finn,” Poe’s voice crackled through the radio. “She’s gone.”</p><p>“What?” Finn yelped. “Where?”</p><p>“We don’t know,” Finn could hear the frustrated edge to Poe’s voice. “It’s not just Rey. Leia, and Kylo Ren too. They’re gone. Vanished. They just faded right into thin air.”</p><p>Finn stared at the radio in his hand. He gripped it until it shook in his fist. </p><p>Rey. Gone. Vanished like the Force had just moments ago. That couldn’t be a coincidence. </p><p>“Give me a minute,” Finn switched off the radio. </p><p>He left the tent and returned to Ahsoka. She had sat back down in her meditative position.  Her wrinkled face scrunched in concentration. </p><p>“I have to go,” Finn apologized. “My friends are in trouble.”</p><p>“It’s more than them,” Ahsoka opened her eyes. “I cannot contact anyone in the Force. There are dozens of Jedi Masters who should have answered my call, but I can’t even feel them anymore.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Finn said. “But I have to go.”</p><p>“Wait,” Ahsoka lifted a hand. “This disturbance goes far deeper than you realise. Only one place may offer us answers.”</p><p>Finn shook his head. “I have to find Rey. She’s the strongest Force user we have. Even Skywalker says so. She’s destined to defeat the Dark Side.”</p><p>Ahsoka’s nose wrinkled. “The Dark Side cannot-,” she cut herself off with a huff. “Finn, I have lived a long time. I have watched the Dark Side rise three times to swallow the Light. Each time it happened we ignored a warning in the Force. Each time it cost us more lives than I can count. This disturbance is a clear and present warning from the Force. We must investigate.”</p><p>Finn considered his dream, and the words he’d overheard Obi-Wan say about a brewing threat. But Rey was missing. He could not abandon her. </p><p>“If you come with me,” Ahsoka said. “I will show you the ways of the Force.”</p><p>Finn’s heart leaped. His enthusiasm warred with his desire to help Rey. “Do you have any idea where to go?”</p><p>Ahsoka nodded. “The seeing stone of Tython is the most powerful Jedi artifact in the known galaxy. If we can make it there and find the stone, we will most certainly discover what has happened to the Force.”</p><p>Finn looked down at the radio still clutched in his hands. </p><p>“Alright,” Finn agreed. “Let’s go to Tython.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey, hi! I haven’t been updating recently because I’ve been so frustrated with trying to shoehorn this AU into the plotline of the canon movies. So I said screw it! Canon is dead to me. Let’s ride this thing out and see where it goes.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Tython</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finn and Ahsoka go to the seeing stone on Tython.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The planet Tython stretched out below the ship Ahsoka had commandeered. For a retired Jedi reaching geriatric age, she had some powerful Force suggestion.</p>
<p>Finn stared down at the green and blue planet. His mind wouldn’t let him sleep the entire journey to Tython. He lay on his stiff cot behind the pilot’s seat while a humming buzzed under his skin. The Force fretted over the souls it had lost. </p>
<p>“We’re here,” Ahsoka broke through his wandering thoughts.</p>
<p>The ship landed. Ahsoka joined Finn at the ramp with a cloak covering her lekku. </p>
<p>“Do you feel it?” Ahsoka asked. </p>
<p>Finn focused. The Force churned. It beat against him like waves against the shore. Cold, unforgiving, relentless.</p>
<p>“What is that?” Finn asked. “It doesn’t feel right.”</p>
<p>“The Dark Side has made a foothold here,” Ahsoka said. “Let’s hope it won’t interfere with our task.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka set out. Finn hurried to catch up. The seeing stone sat at the top of a high ridge. They clambered their way up the steep rocks. Morning mist made every step treacherous. More than once Finn slipped and almost pitched himself down the mountain. Ahsoka moved with the grace of a mountain goat, surefooted and light. Finn grumbled to himself. It had to be a Force trick. </p>
<p>Finn lifted his head to check their progress. Something moved in the mist. </p>
<p>“Ahsoka,” Finn breathed.</p>
<p>“Calm yourself,” she snapped. “I can feel your distress from here. It might only be an animal.”</p>
<p>“And if it’s not?”</p>
<p>Ahsoka threw a smirk over her shoulder. “Use the Force. What do you feel?”</p>
<p>Finn closed his eyes. Nothing moved amid the currents of the Force. The cold of the Dark Side became frigid, but no living thing disturbed the ebbs and flows. </p>
<p>“It’s safe,” Finn decided.</p>
<p>Ahsoka snorted. “Safe may be an exaggeration. But you’re right. We can move on.”</p>
<p>They reached the peak. Finn had expected a break in the mist. He had hoped for the sun to pour down on the seeing stone. Instead, the fog hugged closer, wrapping everything in a murky haze. Finn squinted to see through the blanket of mist. </p>
<p>Something moved. A shape charged out of the mist. Finn yelped. He fell back, reaching for the blaster on his belt. Ahsoka unleashed her lightsabers. The white glow illuminated a huge figure lurching towards them. A red saber ignited in its fist. A Sith, Finn’s mind hissed.</p>
<p>The Sith fell on Ahsoka.</p>
<p>Ahsoka bent her knees to take the first strike. Red and white clashed. Finn struggled to see the attacker’s face. </p>
<p>The swirling fog parted. Red and black striped across a snarling face. Horns crowned his head. Burning yellow eyes glared down at Ahsoka.</p>
<p>“Maul,” Ahsoka breathed. </p>
<p>The zabrack growled low in his throat. A second saber blade extended from his hilt. Finn gasped.</p>
<p>Ahsoka stepped backward, out of Maul’s reach. She sheathed her lightsabers. Finn’s heart skipped. He took aim with his blaster.</p>
<p>Ahsoka lifted a single hand. “You are dead. You have no power here.”</p>
<p>The apparition faded into the mist and vanished.</p>
<p>Finn’s heart jack hammered. He braced his arms on his knees. “What was that?” </p>
<p>“A guardian, most likely.” Ahsoka scanned the mist.</p>
<p>“How did you know it wasn’t real?” Finn croaked.</p>
<p>Ahsoka made a face. “Maul died years ago. Besides, we both searched the Force. We would have felt a Sith Lord’s presence. Something else is sending these visions.”</p>
<p>“Like the seeing stone?” Finn turned to look at their prize. Four pillars marked the four cardinal directions. In the center sat a domed rock carved with symbols Finn didn’t understand. </p>
<p>Ahsoka approached warily. She pressed a hand against the stone. </p>
<p>A wave of light pulsed out from the stone. It slammed into Finn’s chest and threw him to his knees. The Force rocked through him, louder and brighter than he’d ever experienced. It faded after a moment, but the seeing stone remained shrouded in a shimmering veil of energy.</p>
<p>Beside him, Ahsoka stumbled suddenly. She lowered herself to her knees. Finn scrambled to her side. “Are you alright?”</p>
<p>“I don’t have the strength for this,” Ahsoka mumbled. She shook like a leaf. “I can’t do this.”</p>
<p>“Yes, you can,” Finn argued. “You’re the strongest Jedi I’ve ever met.”</p>
<p>“Not a Jedi,” Ahsoka mumbled. “I’ve shielded myself from the Light and Dark for so long that I can no longer see clearly through either.”</p>
<p>“What does that mean?” Finn demanded. </p>
<p>Ahsoka bowed her head. Her lekku hid her face from Finn. “The Force does not want me to find these answers,” she said at last.</p>
<p>She twisted under Finn’s hands. Her gaze pierced him. “It has to be you.”</p>
<p>Finn shook his head. “I’m not trained, like you. I don’t know what I’m doing.”</p>
<p>“Trust the Force.” Ahsoka pushed herself up. “Find Rey. Find the others.”</p>
<p>Finn’s stomach dropped. “I can’t. I’m not stronger than you.”</p>
<p>“This isn’t about strength,” Ahsoka laid her hand on Finn’s shoulder. “This is about being open to the Force. You have the skills. You can do it.”</p>
<p>Finn looked back at the shimmering stone. Fear crawled up his throat.</p>
<p>“The galaxy is counting on you, Finn.” Ahsoka activated her lightsabers. “I will defend you.”</p>
<p>Finn faced the iridescent seeing stone. His stomach churned. He reached out a hand. Cold radiated off the energy field. </p>
<p>Finn stepped over the barrier. The Force hit him like a crushing wave. Finn immediately lost his bearings. He was swept into the current where images and feelings slammed into him. Panic tightened Finn’s chest. He could not make any sense of the things the Force showed him. He saw Kylo Ren’s cracked helmet, a planet shattering into the stars, faces he did not know and voices speaking in languages he could not understand. Meanwhile, the Force shuddered and thrust despair into Finn’s core. </p>
<p>Finn took a breath. He pushed himself to focus on the present. He felt the rough seeing stone under his palms. He heard the wind swaying gently through the trees below the peak. He breathed in and out. Finn tethered himself to those sensations. Then he reached out. He took each vision in his hands and examined them, turning them over and over. Then he let them go. With each wave of despair, Finn let it pass over his head and wash away. The emotion did not belong to him. Someone else was releasing it into the Force. Who? Finn waded further into the Force. He saw a dark landscape besieged by lightning.</p>
<p>A pair of eyes blazing yellow with hate seared across Finn’s vision. Finn stumbled. He reached out for the image to see it more clearly.</p>
<p>Pain slashed up Finn’s side. He cried out. </p>
<p>Finn’s eyes opened. He found himself on his hands and knees. The rough rock of Tython’s seeing stone dug into his palms. </p>
<p>“Finn!” Ahsoka was suddenly at Finn’s side. Her hands went to Finn’s ribs. Pain flared. He bit back a yell. He touched the spot with shaking fingers. His hand came back coated in blood.</p>
<p>The world shifted, spinning on its axis. Grey edged Finn’s vision. The sky opened up above him. Ahsoka yelled his name, but she sounded so far away. Finn closed his eyes.</p>
<p>Finn woke with a start. He lay on his back on his cot aboard Ahsoka’s ship. His side ached. Finn reached for the pain. His fingers brushed against stiff bandages. </p>
<p>“Don’t do that.” </p>
<p>Finn turned his head. Ahsoka sat at his side. Her ancient face looked more haggard than usual. The bags under her eyes had grown deeper. </p>
<p>“What happened?” Finn’s voice croaked.</p>
<p>“The seeing stone on Tython,” Ahsoka reminded him.</p>
<p>The yellow eyes flashed through Finn’s mind again.</p>
<p>“I have never seen something like that in all my years,” Ahsoka said gravely. “It looked like you’d been cut with a lightsaber.”</p>
<p>“I saw someone,” Finn said. “They did this,” he gestured to the bandages wrapped tight around his torso.</p>
<p>Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “The amount of power in the Force it would take to reach across the galaxy.” she shook her head. “I didn’t think it possible.”</p>
<p>“Who do you think it was?” Finn asked.</p>
<p>“A Sith,” Ahsoka answered immediately. “Though I haven’t heard of one powerful enough for that since-,” she cut herself off.</p>
<p>“Ahsoka,” Finn prompted. “Tell me.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka shook her head. “It’s not possible.” She changed the subject. “What else did you see?”</p>
<p>Finn told her about the exploding planet and Kylo Ren’s helmet. </p>
<p>She nodded. “The Force showed you the past. That sounds like Alderaan. And the mask was perhaps a different path for the young sith.”</p>
<p>“What about the lightning storm?” Finn asked.</p>
<p>Ahsoka sat for a long minute contemplating.</p>
<p>Finn scratched at his bandages. Ahsoka swatted his hand.</p>
<p>“Exogol,” she said at last. Her blue eyes darkened. “That’s where the lost Jedi are. Exogol.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Short chapter. Plot is starting to pick up soon, I promise.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Sith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finn faces the darkness on Exogol.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ahsoka flew her tiny ship in silence. When Finn felt well enough to climb out of his sickbed he paced up and down the cockpit. His mind spun with every tight rotation. His footfalls echoed off the close metal walls.</p>
<p>“Sit,” Ahsoka snapped from the pilot’s seat. “Meditate.”</p>
<p>Finn obediently dropped into the co-pilot’s chair. He closed his eyes. He breathed in deep. The memory of yellow eyes and pain slashed across his mind. Finn jumped to his feet again. Ahsoka let him get one circuit around the floor before she spoke.</p>
<p>“Fear is dangerous, young one.”</p>
<p>“I’m not afraid.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka’s eyes dropped to Finn’s hands. He realised he’d dug his fingers into his bandages. He let his hands drop to his sides. </p>
<p>“Come here.” Ahsoka spun her chair so she faced the co-pilot’s seat. Finn sat. </p>
<p>“Fear is natural,” Ahsoka started. “It keeps us alive. But we cannot let it stop us from living. You have to learn how to let go of your fear.” </p>
<p>She crossed her legs in a meditative pose. It looked uncomfortable in the bulky pilot’s chair. </p>
<p>“The Force doesn’t just give power. It’s an exchange. When you give your fear to the Force it will give you peace in return.”</p>
<p>Finn listened with rapt attention. Why couldn’t Skywalker explain the way Ahsoka did? She made it sound so easy. </p>
<p>“Focus,” Ahsoka instructed. “Feel your fear like a stone in your hand. Then open yourself to the Force and let go of the stone.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka clenched her hands into fists. Finn felt the tug in his gut of the Force swirling around them. Ahsoka let her palms fall open. Her shoulders relaxed. The lines of her face smoothed.</p>
<p>Finn closed his eyes. The fear surged over him like a wave of oil, choking his throat. Finn opened himself to the Force. The eddies of the Force lapped at his edges. It touched the sludge of fear. The tides moved, taking a bit of the fear with every wave. Finn didn’t know how long he sat there with the curling waters of the Force purifying him. </p>
<p>Finn blinked his eyes open. Ahsoka regarded him with a thin smile. “Very good, padawan.”</p>
<p>Finn startled at the title. “I thought only Jedi took padawans.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka waved her hand. “Let an old lady have her indulgences.”</p>
<p>The control panel beeped. Ahsoka spun around. “We’re here.”</p>
<p>They dropped out of hyper speed. The dark planet from Finn’s vision loomed before them. Exogol. Finn shivered. </p>
<p>Ahsoka flew them expertly through the dense storm clouds. Lightning flashed every few seconds. It unnerved Finn to no end. It wasn’t until they’d touched down that Finn realised no thunder followed the jagged lines of lightning. </p>
<p>They exited the ship in tense silence. The whole planet felt shrouded. The second the ramp lowered, Finn felt like his lungs had smothered in his chest. He paused. He didn’t want to give in to fear so quickly after Ahsoka’s lesson. But the darkness crept inside of him, clogging his throat and sticking in his ears.</p>
<p>Ahsoka knelt and touched one hand to the ground. She closed her eyes an bent her head. “Be with me,” she whispered. </p>
<p>Finn waited until she straightened to ask. “What was that?”</p>
<p>Ahsoka didn’t look at him. “I’m old, Finn. I need the strength of all the Jedi who went before me.”</p>
<p>Finn blinked. “Like Obi-Wan?”</p>
<p>Ahsoka nodded. “Him, and the Grand Masters, and my Master too.”</p>
<p>“You don’t ever talk about him,” Finn noted.</p>
<p>Ahsoka’s face didn’t change, but Finn felt the shift in the Force. Sorrow and pain washed out in waves.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Finn backed off. “It’s not my place.”</p>
<p>“My Master made many mistakes,” Ahsoka said. “Some of them I will not forgive until I pass into the Force.”</p>
<p>She shook herself. “This place is evil. Something Dark has fed on this place for a very long time. It’s time for that to end.” </p>
<p>She lifted her head. Finn followed her gaze. Finn could only describe the building as a fortress. Its straight angles seemed crafted out of the planet itself. It breathed malevolence from its very stones.</p>
<p>“Take this,” Ahsoka handed him one of her lightsabers. “Don’t lose it.”</p>
<p>Finn swallowed hard. “What’s the plan?”</p>
<p>“Stealth,” Ahsoka advised. “We don’t know what we’re walking into. The only thing we have is the element of surprise.”</p>
<p>Finn nodded. “Lead the way.”</p>
<p>They found the front door open. Finn’s nerves jumped at ever shadow as they moved through the fortress. Thirty-foot statues of menacing Sith watched them make their way towards the center of the palace.</p>
<p>“What does the Force tell you?” Ahsoka whispered. </p>
<p>Finn considered. “The Darkness is coming from up ahead.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka nodded. “The Sith knows we’re here.” She paused. “I will go in alone.”</p>
<p>“What?” Finn yelped. </p>
<p>“Surprise,” Ahsoka reminded him. “When I have him distracted, then you join me. Wait for my signal.”</p>
<p>She blended into the shadows and vanished. Finn moved forward with his heart hammering. He tried releasing his fear into the Force, but it felt like the Dark had smothered the Force in this place. </p>
<p>Finn came to a sudden open space. A massive throne took up the center of what could only be a courtroom. Finn hid himself behind a pillar. He peeked out. A shrouded figure sat on the throne with their head bent.</p>
<p>“Come out little Jedi,” the Sith’s wheezing voice raked down Finn’s spine. “I felt your presence the moment your ship touched down. Come and see what has become of your fellow Jedi.”</p>
<p>Finn flinched, thinking he’d been seen. He started to move.</p>
<p>Ahsoka stepped out into the throne room from opposite Finn. She placed herself in front of the dais, her shoulders back and her bent spine noble.</p>
<p>“Ahsoka Tano,” the Sith hissed. “You don’t know how to stay dead, do you?”</p>
<p>“I could say the same of you, Chancellor.” Ahsoka ignited her lightsaber.</p>
<p>“Chancellor,” the Sith laughed. “It has been a very long time since anyone called me that. Now they refer to me as Darth Sidious.”</p>
<p>“I don’t care about your stupid Sith name,” Ahsoka shot back. “Where are the Jedi?”</p>
<p>“It took great power to take the Force users from across the galaxy,” Sidious wheezed. “Almost more power than I could spare. But it was worth it. I consume the power from each of my captures one by one. And with every one I drain my power increases tenfold!”</p>
<p>Ahsoka sucked in a breath that Finn heard from across the room. “You’ve drained them all?”</p>
<p>“Alas, no,” Sidious shook his head. “It is an arduous task. I have had time only to siphon the power from three unworthy subjects thus far. But they have made me into the greatest Sith that ever lived.”</p>
<p>He lifted his hands. “Behold my might!” </p>
<p>Spears of electricity leapt from Sidious’ hands. The energy engulfed Ahsoka. She collapsed, an anguished scream ripping over the crackling of electricity. </p>
<p>Finn jolted forward. He almost revealed himself, but Sidious cut off the assault. His cackling laugh echoed the sound of the electricity.</p>
<p>“You cannot possibly defeat me. You who forsook both the Light and the Dark. You will learn that such weakness will ruin you.”</p>
<p>Sidious lifted his hands again. Lightning wrapped around Ahsoka. She screamed again. Sidious raised his hands higher. Ahsoka was lifted off her feet. Her spine arched as the electricity surged.</p>
<p>Ahsoka gripped her lightsaber. Her arm drew back. She threw the lightsaber at Sidious. The blade spun end over end. Sidious’ cruel yellow eyes widened. He ducked. The lightsaber careened into the wall behind him. Sidious dropped Ahsoka.</p>
<p>Ahsoka collapsed to the floor.</p>
<p>“Fool!” Sidious raged. “I am the most powerful being in the universe. I cannot be stopped.”</p>
<p>“Wanna bet?” Finn leaped from hiding spot. He charged up the steps of the throne. The lightsaber in his hand ignited, casting gruesome shadows over the Sith’s face. Finn slashed at Sidious’ chest. The Sith moved impossibly fast. Finn’s saber carved through the throne where Sidious had been moments before. </p>
<p>Finn spun around. Sidious hunched at the bottom of the steps.</p>
<p>“Another lost Jedi?” Sidious raked his yellow eyes over Finn. Finn knew those eyes from his vision on Tython. His wounded side throbbed. A smile spread like a disease over Sidious’ face.</p>
<p>“You’re the one who tried to probe into my mind. The seeker.” Sidious laughed. “You felt so strong in the Force when you tried to break down my shields. Now, I see you are just as weak as the rest of the Jedi.”</p>
<p>“I’m not a Jedi,” Finn struck again. The saber passed harmlessly through the air. </p>
<p>Finn moved to keep Sidious in front of him.</p>
<p>“Where’s Rey? Did you already drain her?”</p>
<p>“Rey,” Sidious licked his lips as though savouring her name. “She is the most formidable of all those I gathered. I have saved her for last. When I take her power, I will become the greatest supremacy in history!”</p>
<p>“What about Skywalker?” Dread filled Finn’s gut.</p>
<p>“Skywalker,” Sidious hissed. His agitation grew. “I will savour watching the Force drain from that troublemaker. That whole bloodline should be wiped out. Fortunately, I’ve taken care of the youngest heir. Kylo Ren,” he spat the name. “The pathetic excuse for a Sith. He will no longer taint the Force with his weak will.”</p>
<p>“You killed him?” Finn demanded.</p>
<p>“No,” Sidious scoffed. “He lives. Or at least survives as a shell of himself without his Force powers.”</p>
<p>Finn’s world shifted. Kylo Ren without the Force. No longer a Sith. Would the war finally end without him at the helm?</p>
<p>Sidious sneered. “I sense your fear, young one. You have no allegiance to the Light. That’s good. The Dark offers more opportunities than you can imagine.”</p>
<p>“Are you trying to recruit me?” Finn asked, baffled. </p>
<p>“There are always two Sith,” Sidious hissed. “No more, no less. I have struck down my failure of an apprentice. But you,” Sidious paused. “You could become the greatest Sith there ever was.”</p>
<p>“Pass,” Finn growled. </p>
<p>He launched himself at Sidious. Again and again, Finn swung the humming lightsaber. As the fight dragged on, Finn’s frustration grew. Sidious refused to attack. He didn’t lift a finger towards Finn. He let Finn push him back and then darted out of reach. Finn’s arms tired. </p>
<p>“I feel your anger,” Sidious taunted. “It fuels you. Let it fill you from the inside, let it drive your power.”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” Finn ground between his teeth.</p>
<p>“Ah, I see,” Sidious chuckled. He moved so fluidly, without effort, while Finn huffed for breath and forced his aching muscles to keep going.</p>
<p>“I see,” Sidious repeated. “It is not anger that keeps you from your potential in the Force. It is fear.”</p>
<p>Finn slashed at Sidious’ face. Sidious caught Finn’s wrist in a hand like steel. Finn’s heart hammered. Sidious’ yellow eyes threatened to swallow Finn whole. Sidious raised his other hand. His clammy fingers touched Finn’s forehead. </p>
<p>Finn fell. He tumbled through darkness and water into the crushing depths of the Force. </p>
<p>He landed on his feet on the cold, slimy rocks of Ahch-To. A figure came running from Skywalker’s hut on the edge of the cliff. As she drew nearer, Finn recognised Rey. His heart leaped to see her again. She suddenly skidded to a halt. Rey’s smiling face fell at the sight of him. Her eyes blazed with the fierce hatred Finn had only seen when they’d first met on Jakku. Rey backed away. Behind her, Skywalker shook his head. Finn watched as Skywalker turned away from him. Skywalker’s hands shook. He morphed into Ahsoka, who lowered her lekkued head and walked away from Finn. Finn stood alone, buffeted by the wind.</p>
<p>“They know you are too powerful to train,” Sidious’ voice hissed. “They know you would become too strong to control.”</p>
<p>The cliffs faded. The roll of the ocean became a wave of sand. Endless dunes stretched towards a dark horizon. A fire cast sparks up into the night sky. Finn’s throat closed. He knew this place. It haunted his nightmares. Jakku. A surge of white armoured Stormtroopers raced across the sand. Finn covered his head as the explosions started. He couldn’t look away. His brother collapsed beside him. He lifted his hand and touched Finn’s cheek. The stench of blood coated Finn’s face. </p>
<p>“Stop,” Finn cried. “Stop it.”</p>
<p>“This is where you were made,” Sidious said. He stood over Finn’s shoulder. His eyes glowed in the darkness. “This was the moment you became more than your number. And it was fear that freed you.”</p>
<p>“No,” Finn rocked on his heels. He couldn’t get enough air in his lungs. His breaths tore ragged through his throat. “Stop.”</p>
<p>“Look upon who you are,” Sidious hissed. “And what you will become.”</p>
<p>A figure strode out of the smoke and carnage. He was tall, imposing, and cut a figure in a black suit. The shining silver pin on his lapel depicted the Sith emblem. As the smoke cleared, Finn saw his own face glowing with pride. A red lightsaber ignited in the other Finn’s hand. He moved across the battlefield with grace and ease. He cast the Force in a destructive arc, leaving a wake of burning carnage. Finn felt the way the Force rushed to do the bidding of his Sith counterpart. He had none of the difficulties or reservations that plagued Finn now. His enemies fell like toppled toys. The rebels were crushed beneath his boot.</p>
<p>“No,” Finn choked. “I’m more than this.”</p>
<p>“More?” Sidious bared his rotten teeth. “Nothing could possibly be more.”</p>
<p>“You’re not looking hard enough.” Finn closed his eyes and focused. </p>
<p>Finn dragged his memories into the light. That first moment he’d grabbed Rey’s hand and refused to let go. He clutched her memory and she squeezed his fingers back. Finn reached out his other hand and caught Poe’s shoulder. The pilot’s face lit up as he wrapped an arm around Finn. They faced Sidious as a knot braided together.</p>
<p>“They loved me before they knew I had the Force,” Finn said.</p>
<p>Sidious snarled. “They will come to fear you. They will abandon you when they see how strong you become.”</p>
<p>“They won’t.” Warmth flooded through Finn’s body from each point where he joined Rey and Poe. “They give me strength.”</p>
<p>Something fizzed at the edge of Finn’s vision. He turned his head. Obi-Wan shimmered in blue on Finn’s left side. </p>
<p>Obi-Wan smiled. “You have the Jedi with you, Finn. You are never alone.”</p>
<p>A thousand faces suddenly crowded the space around Finn. A hundred species of Jedi laid their ghostly hands on Finn’s shoulder.</p>
<p>Finn reached out and thrust both of his hands into Sidious’ chest.</p>
<p>Sidious screamed.</p>
<p>The illusion shattered. </p>
<p>Finn came back to himself with a jerk. He stood in the Sith throne room with the power of the Force swelling within him. </p>
<p>Sidious was thrown backwards. He crashed into the stone steps of his broken throne. Finn approached slowly. With every step, he heard the whispers of the Jedi of the past.</p>
<p>A ghost of a young man with a scar over his eye half hidden under shaggy hair said, “Sidious must be stopped. He turned me against my wife and children.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan returned on Finn’s other side. He glared at the prone Sith. “He twisted a million clones into slaves.”</p>
<p>A hundred more Jedi hissed in Finn’s ears. </p>
<p>“He killed my lover.”</p>
<p>“He started a war.”</p>
<p>“He ended the Jedi.”</p>
<p>“He ordered the destruction of planets.”</p>
<p>“He wiped out entire species.”</p>
<p>The accusations grew until Finn could only hear static. His head swam with the injustice every Jedi pushed at him through the Force. Finn swayed on his feet.</p>
<p>Sidious raised his hands. Lightning crackled between his fingers.</p>
<p>Finn lifted his lightsaber. He caught the burst of electricity against the blade and deflected it easily. </p>
<p>“You cannot do this,” Sidious shrieked. “I am the greatest power in the universe!”</p>
<p>“You look weak to me,” Finn said. </p>
<p>He raised his lightsaber over his head. Sidious cowered. Finn paused. The Force undulated. The Jedi in Finn’s ear whispered. </p>
<p>“Avenge us,” they said. “Bring balance to the Force.”</p>
<p>“I’m not a Jedi,” Finn argued. </p>
<p>“Neither am I.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka’s lightsaber joined Finn’s. She locked eyes with him. “Together.”</p>
<p>Finn nodded. </p>
<p>Ahsoka’s lightsaber plunged into Sidious’ chest. Finn’s slashed across his throat. Sidious died. Finn looked away. </p>
<p>The ghosts of the Jedi sighed as one and faded. Their vanishing left Finn cold. Finn sagged.</p>
<p>Ahsoka leaned her shoulder against his. “It’s over. Let’s go find our friends.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>One more chapter to go, folks. This has been a rip roaring ride, so thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a comment.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. A New Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is the end folks. We did it! Thank you to everyone who read and commented.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They found the captured Force sensitives in the dungeons of Sidious’ palace. The dark stone room reeked of fear and unwashed bodies. Finn and Ahsoka wrenched the door open. </p><p>Ahsoka drew a sharp breath. The prisoners closest to the door blinked in the sudden light. Finn’s eyes fell on the thick metal collars around their necks.</p><p>“What is that?” He demanded. </p><p>“Force suppressors,” Ahsoka growled. She lifted a hand and clenched her fist. The nearest bunch of collars released and clattered to the ground. The captives sobbed with relief.</p><p>“Rey?” Finn scanned the faces of those swarming to get out of the dungeon. </p><p>Ahsoka darted from one person to the next. Her lightsaber illuminated their faces as she cut their chains. They all looked gaunt and haunted. </p><p>“Rey? Where are you?” Finn yelled. His fear welled up. He squashed it down. He’d find her. Sidious said he hadn’t touched her yet. Finn began slashing through the chains of the others around him. Hands touched his shoulders gratefully. He didn’t see the face he looked for. </p><p>“Finn.” Ahsoka’s voice cut through the murmurs of the released captives. Finn shoved his way through the crowd. </p><p>Ahsoka knelt beside Luke Skywalker. The old man sat beside a familiar woman. General Leia Skywalker. She held a familiar dark-haired person. Finn’s stomach dropped. Kylo Ren. The ex-Sith stared vacantly into space. He seemed unaware of the people around him, or of his mother’s hands on his shoulders. </p><p>“He hasn’t moved since Sidious brought him back from the experiment,” Skywalker said. The old man looked well, considering his circumstances. A tendril of worry unravelled in Finn’s gut at the sight of his old Master unharmed.</p><p>“Where’s Rey?” Finn asked. </p><p>“Here,” her voice filled Finn with relief like water in the desert. He spun. Rey crouched in the corner. She was tending to an injured woman. Finn ran to her side. He wrapped his arms around her and held tight despite her squawk. </p><p>“Get off of me and help,” she said through a smile. </p><p>Together, Finn and Rey lifted the injured woman out of the dungeon. They left the fortress behind.</p><p>Finn blinked in surprise at the sunlight dashing against the jagged stones of the planet’s surface. Without the influence of the Dark Side, it seemed the planet had returned to its natural state. </p><p>Ahsoka vanished into her ship to call for aid to take everyone home. </p><p>Rey slung her arm around Finn’s shoulder. They watched the crowd of people milling about. </p><p>“What’s going to happen now?” Finn asked.</p><p>Rey shrugged. “I think this might be good for the Jedi. Everyone is pretty shaken up from this encounter. They want to learn how to protect themselves. Master Skywalker isn’t the only one here who could teach Force training.”</p><p>“Finn?” A curly haired girl younger than Rey approached them.</p><p>“Yes,” Finn nodded. </p><p>“Will you tell us what happened?” The girl requested. A murmur went up from the others around her. </p><p>“Tell us.”</p><p>“How did you defeat Sidious?”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>Overwhelmed, Finn glanced at Rey. She only shrugged. </p><p>“Alright.” In halting starts Finn told the group how he’d come to Exogol. More and more people joined until Finn was telling his tale to a crowd. He came to the end and fell awkwardly silent. He felt drained, as though telling the story had taken just as much energy as going through the events the first time.</p><p>Finn leaned back against the rock he sat on.</p><p>“Show’s over,” Rey stood and shooed everyone away. She came back and sat with Finn. He pressed his shoulder to hers.</p><p>“We need to tell Poe we’re safe,” Finn said. His eyes slid shut. “After a nap.”</p><p>Rey’s laugh followed Finn into sleep. </p><p>Skywalker woke Finn with a shake of his shoulder. Finn blinked. The sun had begun to set. A fleet of ships surrounded the Sith palace. </p><p>“Leia called for help,” Skywalker explained. “It’s time to go.”</p><p>Finn got to his feet. </p><p>Skywalker placed his flesh hand on Finn’s shoulder. “This is good-bye. The Force tells me we won’t see each other for some time.”</p><p>An unexpected sadness filled Finn. He would miss the old Jedi.</p><p>“You’ve become much more in tune with the Force,” Skywalker appraised him. “You’ve surpassed what I taught you.”</p><p>Finn inclined his head. “Your teachings were invaluable to me, Master.”</p><p>“What will you do now?” Skywalker asked.</p><p>Finn glanced at the white and blue lekku weaving through the crowd. “I think I’ll stay with Ahsoka, if she’ll have me.” He met Skywalker’s eye. “You were right. I’m not meant to be a Jedi.”</p><p>A small smile peeked through Skywalker’s beard.</p><p>“Did you foresee all this?” Finn demanded.</p><p>“No,” Skywalker shook his head. “I only knew the Force had another plan for you. That’s why I pushed you so hard, Finn. I knew you needed to learn as fast as possible.”</p><p>Rey suddenly crashed into Finn's back. She wrapped her arms tight around his ribs. "We have to go," Rey said. "And I know you won't come with us. But promise me you'll call."</p><p>"Every day," Finn agreed. He squeezed Rey into another hug. "Don't let Poe get too hot headed while I'm gone."</p><p>"I can't work miracles," she laughed.</p><p>Skywalker raised a hand in farewell. “May the Force be with you, Finn.”</p><p>Finn nodded. “May the Force be with you.”</p><p>Skywalker walked away, his robes billowing around him. Rey waved as she followed until they both vanished from sight.</p><p>Ahsoka climbed up the rocks to sit beside Finn. She pretended not to see the tears gathering in the corner of Finn’s eyes. </p><p>They sat until all the ships had loaded up the freed Force sensitives and lifted off into the sky. Twilight washed over the planet. An orange sunset matched Ahsoka’s skin as Finn sorted through his thoughts.</p><p>“What do I do now?” Finn asked. “I know I’m not a Jedi. The Rebellion is over. The war has ended. Where do I fit?”</p><p>Ahsoka watched him out of the corner of her eye. “Who were you before the Force found you?”</p><p>Finn’s jaw clenched. He wanted to lie. He wanted to walk away. It wouldn't matter. She already knew.</p><p>“I was a Stormtrooper,” Finn whispered. Shame washed over him.</p><p>“Do you know the history of the Stormtroopers?” Ahsoka asked.</p><p>Finn shook his head. He wouldn’t look at her. Whatever she had to say wouldn’t be good.</p><p>“At the beginning they were modelled after Mandalorians.”</p><p>Finn’s head shot up. “Mandalorians?” He knew them as honourable warriors nearly wiped out in one of the Empire’s many purges. They had rebuilt under a new Mand’alor in the last few decades. </p><p>“How did Mandalorians become so, so,” he struggled for the word. “Evil.” He spit the word between his teeth.</p><p>“It’s a very long story full of betrayal and pain,” Ahsoka answered. “The point is, if something has good roots, it’s possible to raze it and regrow something better.”</p><p>“Better Stormtroopers,” Finn scoffed. </p><p>Ahsoka lapsed into silence. Memory wrapped around her like a suffocating shroud. </p><p>“Foundlings are a major part of Mandalorian culture,” Ahsoka said carefully. “Perhaps one of their few redeeming qualities. They agree a family is not made by blood.”</p><p>Finn chewed on that for a minute. “So, you think I should go find more Stormtroopers?”</p><p>“Do you truly feel like you were the only one who was not happy there?” Ahsoka raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“None of us were happy.”</p><p>“Then you have your answer.”</p><p>Ahsoka turned back to watch the stars begin piercing through the veil of night. Finn tipped his head back and thought of all the worlds living out there in the black, connected by the living Force. For the first time since he set out to train in the Force Finn felt like was not alone.</p>
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